There are many occasions, particularly in the construction of highways and the like, when it is desirable to provide a temporary warning barrier around a work area. In the past this function has been served by the use of brightly-colored sawhorses, by various types of flashing lights, or by brightly-colored cones and drums. Unfortunately, hard barriers, such as sawhorses and the like, are not only easily damaged by motor vehicles, but they also serve to damage such vehicles in return and, furthermore, are very expensive, as well as bulky to store and difficult to move from one location to another. The "soft" barriers of the prior art, on the other hand, have been not only fairly expensive, but they are very attractive to the younger generation and have a tendency to disappear mysteriously and frequently; their main objection, however, is that they too are bulky and are not convenient to carry from one place to another. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a barrier device having a universal application to a wide variety of situations.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a barrier device which can be readily stored in a small space and, therefore, is convenient to carry from one place to another.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a barrier device which is inexpensive to manufacture and which is not attractive enough to be subject to being stolen frequently.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a barrier device which is not injured or rendered inoperative by impact with vehicles and which is not capable of injuring those vehicles with which it comes in contact.
A still furher object of the invention is the provision of a barrier device which can be subject to considerable abuse without becoming inoperative.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a barrier device which is simple in construction and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a barrier device which provides a large visual impact and also gives the appearance of being a solid barrier which, nevertheless, presents no injurious obstacle to the movement of a vehicle.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.